The Crimson Tears
by Livin-in-my-fable
Summary: Elliot's life was looming to the point of no return. Jacob patched her back up to let her see the beauty of life. They became fast friends and soon enough they were inseperable. Not long after that, Bella came back... bringing Renesmee...During BD
1. In the Blink of an Eye

**Disclaimer: Mrs. Stephenie owns all of these characters –except Elliot - as well as the setting.**

**I just woke up one day and BAM! This story hit me like an oncoming truck (no pun intended). This story is going to be more dramatic than my other story "More Than Meets the Eye" (which just happened to turn into a humor story P). I hope you guys like it. The first chapter is always shorter than the other chapters. I'll be updating both stories at the same time so to those who like MTMTE don't worry, I'm working on it.**

The rain fell down over the hood of the 2000 Sentra my parents drove. I rested on the backseat, regarding the beautiful rain-washed nature that covered either side of the road. All of the creatures within the forest were either taking shelter or hunting for food; I couldn't see one single animal. The agitated ruffling of a map sliced the silence in the car.

"I think we took a wrong turn here." murmured my mother to my driving father pointing at the map.

"Perhaps," muttered my father, peering around the wet roads "Will Andrea mind if we are a few days late?" We were supposed to meet up with my aunt and her family in Washington D.C. but thanks to the dreary weather we sped off course. The GPS couldn't pick up any satellite signals within the forests and not a single human being was in sight. I wasn't worried though.

I played with my hair absentmindedly as I watched the drops of silver splash and dance upon the puddles our car zoomed over them. The cold of the rain seeped through the car and breathed on my skin. The lullaby of the rain sang softly. My eyelids became heavy. My prized green eyes fluttered to a close. I drew the thin jacket over myself as a blanket and laid my head on the puffy pillow I couldn't leave home without. Sleep consumed me not long after that.

My dream was a peaceful one. I pranced and leapt in a vast green field lined with beautiful exotic flowers. The sky had not a single whiff of a cloud. Sunshine streamed into the lush pastures as I danced. My parents lay comfortably in each other's arms beneath the shady trees, laughing as contentedly as I was. A beautiful doe frolicked alongside a breathtaking stag. Their graceful, philandering dance had the three of us completely entranced. The sweet song of birds echoed through the forest. The whole scene seemed to be painted for perfection.

A loud mechanical roar startled me into consciousness. The roar was of a vehicle, a massive vehicle from the sound of it. I kneeled on the backseat, peering behind the back window, through the heavy sheet of rain. The falling drops seemed to become heavier altogether. A flash of lightening illuminated the scene. A throaty gasp was elicited from my pink lips.

"What's wrong Elliot?" asked mother who was still fiddling with that wretched map. Words drowned in my throat as a pair of large, gleaming headlights shone portentously through the thick sheet of rain. My parents were oblivious to the oncoming danger by merely staring ahead on the wet, muddy road. A large cargo truck sped up behind us. The driver's eyes were unable to see the small black Sentra and the fact he was talking animatedly on his phone didn't help.

My father's eyes swiveled to the rearview mirror and his pupils dilated in pure terror. He thrust his hand against the horn and beeped as loud and as long he could. The rain and thunder drowned the sound out completely. The truck was merely eight feet away when the driver saw the sleek black car. He swerved to avoid collision, tires screaming against the asphalt. The large truck was propelled forward by the slick roads. I let out a fearful scream and covered my head with my arms.

With a sickening crunch the rear of the car was crunched into scrap metal as the nose of the truck smashed into it. I was hurled forth, smashing my head against the front seat. Stars danced before my eyes and blood ran down the side of my face. Shards of glass sliced my skin as the windows shattered. Another frightful lurch and the left door was ripped from its hinges. My mother screamed and flailed her arms in panic, trying to reach for my hand. I blinked the blood from my eyes, blindly reaching for her slender hand. The searing pain in my arms and head was engulfed in fear and panic.

The truck ground against the right side of the car, forcing it off its right back wheel. I tumbled through the open door, grazing my arms and legs on the razor-sharp metal which stuck out. I shut my eyes tight and I crashed into the cement with a disgusting crunch. I rolled until my body collided with an enormous oak tree. I coughed out a rivulet of blood. Wiping the thick crimson liquid off my face, I averted my eyes forward.

The sight that met my eyes scarred me for the rest of my existence.

The massive truck toppled over the sleek black car and completely mashed it into the ground. My mother's petrified scream and my father's throaty roar of terror echoed throughout the night before being brutally cut off by the truck. Flames started to lick at the truck's gas tank and no sooner, an extraordinary explosion consumed what was left of the two vehicles.

My body suddenly became detached from the world. I fell to the muddy soil with blood, tears and rain running down my face. Whether it was from blood loss, shock or something else, I never knew.

The stench of oak, medicine and metal invaded my nostrils. I opened my eyes to see a brilliantly lit chandelier hanging over me. A dull, throbbing pain coursed through my entire body. I peered down and found my body mummified in gauze and –in some cases- stitches. I tried to move my arms but they were way too heavy to actually belong to my body. I scanned the room to pass time.

It looked like an aristocrat's bedroom. The bed I laid on had sheets and covers made of silks and satins, a magnificent bookshelf lined with books from this day and age to what seemed like a hundred years ago, an extravagant mahogany desk stood proudly beside the window which opened into a terrace which overlooked the forest – every artist would have killed just for the view – and a beautiful walk in closet stocked full of what I thought were designer clothes. There was an air of antiquity in the room, something that just added to its splendor.

The bronze door knob twisted open and a strangely beautiful man walked gracefully into the room. He wore a white doctor's coat and he checked a clipboard he held in his borderline white hands.

"How are you doing, miss?" he asked me kindly. I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't exactly the girl who trusted men just because they were so devilishly handsome.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I asked curtly ignoring his question. The doctor sighed and ran a hand through his thick blonde hair.

"My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. You are currently in my home situated in Forks, Washington." The dialect he used was one that fit in more with medieval England's noblemen instead of the twenty-first century.

"I'm Elliot Chase." I responded more politely, I always prided myself of having manners that set me apart from the common street filth – I also happen to believe I was an aristocrat in my past life due to the way I acted. "Why am I here, Dr. Cullen?"

"Well," he began uncertainly, probing my bandages for any blood leakage "I was driving down from work and I had happened to find you lying there, bloody and unconscious. I understand the fact I didn't have the right to just pick you up off the street, but no virtuous man - in the right mind – could just leave a wounded person just laying there. I apologize for my rather rash actions."

"You're a doctor, it's basically second nature to save lives." I waved his apology off. He smiled at me kindly. If I were just like those normal teenage girls I would have melted at the first glance of his dazzling smile.

"You're lucky to have survived that accident, Miss Vanguard." murmured Carlisle, scribbling on his clipboard.

The memory of the truck, the screaming, and the horrific explosion somehow found its way back to haunt me. My eyes went blank and I stared at nothing in particular. Despair and misery slowly began to gnaw at my heart, outwards. It felt like a numbing liquid that left nothing but a horrid pain in the heart.

My parents, my supporters, my role models, the only people on this planet who would truly love me…

gone…

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	2. Another Bella

**Thanks to InnerSakura14 for reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

**On with the story!**

The rain never seemed to end. All it does in this part of the world is rain, rain, rain.

I sat on the cushioned window sill of the Cullen manor in the room I'd woken up in, watching how the tiny little drops never seemed to cease. How long I've been sitting here, I'll never know. I hardly ate, I hardly slept (and whenever I did I was propped up against the window or on the cushions), and I hardly left the comfortable pillows. I just watched the rain fall. They seemed to bleed from the skies above. It was raining when my parents died.

An invisible fist punched me in the gut and brought about another volley of tears. The gaping hole in my chest had already swallowed my heart but it never stopped aching. The mere thought of them hurt. The questions my subconscious made never seemed to help either.

What would they have done if they knew they were going to leave me alone in this big, empty world? Would they have cried? Or would they smile and tell me to be strong?

I collapsed on to the cushions and sobbed. My tangled mess of hair spread out on the pillows, catching my tears. The pain in my chest was unbearable. It tore at the hole further. My hands clutched my heart, my nails dug into my skin harshly. More tears cascaded down my cheeks.

"It hurts…" I sobbed "mom, dad, it hurts…"

I wanted to feel my mom's gentle caress and my father's uncertain touch once again. They did that whenever I cried. I yearned for the warmth of their hands and the love in their words. I wanted to rewind time. I craved the simpler times when we all laughed together.

Alas, all that I wanted, that I needed, could never come back to me. They were always beyond my reach, taunting and laughing at my feeble attempts in life.

The dream I last dreamt kept replaying itself in my mind, but it brought me more pain than it brought comfort. The green field, my parents, the smiles and the two beautiful deer flashed before my eyes.

"Dreams are always the opposite of what was meant to happen," said the ghostly memory that was my mother.

"I know," I sobbed through the never ending tears "but it didn't have to happen so soon."

**Alice's P.O.V**

The fresh smell of briny tears reached my sensitive nostrils. Elliot was crying again. I gave a soft sigh and jumped down to the first floor. I hit the marble with a dull thud before I ran to Carlisle. I was in front of a worried looking Carlisle in a mere one-point-oh-seven, a new record.

"What is it Alice?" asked Carlisle. I merely pointed up at the ceiling before he caught my drift.

"She's really not happy here," I said "I don't think it's a very good idea for _them _to come now." Or ever for that matter.

"We have no choice." he mumbled "They want to see if she's safe. Sam's just making sure we won't lose ourselves and bite her."

I scoffed. Losing ourselves was an overstatement. Elliot smelled nice but since we were all used to Bella's alluring, exotic scent, hers seemed rather weak and unappetizing.

"They still don't want to take any chances."

The strong smell of wet dog pervaded my nose. If I was a human I probably would have puked my guts out. Bleh! Seriously, how could _anyone_ stand it?

In less than ten seconds, Jasper, Emmett, Esme and Rosalie occupied random spaces in the living room. Each one of them was as tense as I was. Since Edward and Bella hadn't come back from the honeymoon, we didn't have an interpreter with us. Note to self: Burn every single tile they place their dirty paws on.

Sam came in first then he was flanked by the three amigos, Jacob and those two other guys - who smelled like feet, entered the living room. My fingers itched to pinch my nose closed but I was forced to content myself with a smile. I breathed in and held my breath. I had stored enough oxygen in my lungs to last a human an entire lifetime.

The Quileutes stood rigid and erect. Their eyes never wavered from our faces except for the usual flicker towards the ceiling. They could probably hear the pained beating of Elliot's heart. Maybe they even smelled the brine of her tears.

Sam stepped forward and glared at the naturally calm Carlisle. His eyes searched for a flash of betrayal or mistrust but found nothing. Carlisle was a natural when it came to staying calm and collected.

"Why?" was the simple question that eluded the alpha's mouth. The three flunkies seemed to have stopped fidgeting and were now glaring at Carlisle with full force. Geez, didn't they know that there was a creation called a _smile_. Really, as if they weren't ugly enough, but they just _had_ to twist it into a more misshapen figure.

"She was hurt and I couldn't just leave her there in the mud!" smiled Carlisle pleasantly "I assure you, as soon as her arm has healed we'll send her over to her aunt's."

"How long will she stay?" growled Sam.

"Roughly two and a half months. Her fracture was rather bad."

The werewolves took uncertain glances at each other. Their alpha deciphered their uneasy expressions easily and towered over Carlisle threateningly. I flexed my fingers at an impulse. I saw Emmett pull his lips over his teeth in a snarl.

"No," said Sam "we can't let another innocent life get turned into a filthy leech." Carlisle's smile became a business-like grimace.

"What are you implying?" said Carlisle in the same tone but the atmosphere seemed to become icier. Even he would get insulted when we were accused of biting an innocent human.

"We don't want _two_ living, breathing humans to become animated corpses which thirst for blood." clarified Jacob angrily "One is more than enough." I fought a sarcastic scoff from escaping my lungs. No matter how many times we clarified that Bella _wanted_ to be one of us, this lovesick puppy would staple his ears shut and convince himself that Bella would come running back to him. It was rather pathetic to watch actually.

"Can I go check on her?" asked the obviously more polite werewolf - whose name slipped my mind "I want to check if these _ticks_ didn't dry her out yet." Okay, scratch that polite comment.

**Elliot's P.O.V**

The door creaked open slightly. Odd, none of the Cullens came up to my room at this time. I turned my blank eyes towards the mahogany door. The smell of rain and grass pervaded my naturally sharp sense of smell.

Two unnaturally tall men entered the room awkwardly. They both had the same russet skin, black hair and deep brown eyes. Several distinguishing features easily put them apart though. Sadly, I didn't have enough motivation to even do that simple task. I turned my head and leaned my forehead against the cool glass, staring dejectedly out the rainy forest once again.

My ears picked up hushed whispers exchanged by the two men at the doorway. I ignored it and slipped into the quilt I had dragged off the bed for when cold started to nip at my skin. The heavy blanket encased my delicate frame in a cocoon. It reminded me of the times my parents would curl me into the blankets back home. I took a deep, shuddering breath and watched the drops fall and splash into the mud puddles below.

"Um, hey," said one of the men "what's your name?" he was trying to be polite.

"Elliot Chase," I murmured hoarsely, breathing fog on the window.

"I'm Embry and my buddy here's Jacob," he said "we want to talk to you, Elliot." My eyes flickered to Jacob who wore a very peculiar look on his face. I dismissed the idea.

"Shoot," I sighed in the same tone: lifeless and despondent.

"Well, you see, uh…" began Embry uncomfortably.

"We wanted to know if you'd…approve to being taken care of by my friends and I." blurted his friend for him.

Normally, I would have responded with a 'hell no!', but, as of the moment, I didn't care. I just wanted to be left alone again so I could continue my miserable existence.

"Yeah, whatever." I mumbled. I drew the quilt around my body tighter. My chest began to hurt again.

"You don't mind?" asked Embry stunned.

I just shrugged.

"So, uh, I guess we'll be seeing you around then." waved his comrade. In less than a nanosecond, the two men were out of the room and the door slammed shut. I sighed in relief and laid down comfortably in the plump cushions, nestling into the contours of the wide sill before falling into a guilt-ridden sleep.

**Jacob's P.O.V**

My breath hitched in my throat the moment I laid eyes on her. My heart thudded erratically in my chest plate. Nostalgia knocked all the breath out of my lungs. I was hyperventilating so bad it wasn't funny.

That girl…looked so much like Bella.

Her eyes were so lifeless and dead, her arms wrapped around the contours of her shapely chest as if it was going to fall apart if she'd let go, and her longing to be reunited with somebody, although that somebody was long gone, was so palpable I could taste it in the air.

She looked like the Bella I'd after her little _episode_ with that leech, before I'd sewn her together.

I caught bits and phrases of her conversation with Embry. Her name was Elliot Chase. It had a nice ring to it…wait…I just got over Bella!! Urgh… it sucks when you just _happen_ to stop aging at sixteen. My hormones were so out of whack.

Her dull green eyes turned to gaze at me for a fraction of a second. My stomach flipped. I saw absolutely nothing in those eyes. Elliot was much worse off than Bella. How could I not have known? She lost her parents, not her leech boyfriend – which, in my opinion, any girl should be happy to lose.

I noticed Embry's eyes shift in my direction pleadingly. He didn't know how to hold his own against a downhearted girl. Typical…

"We wanted to know if you'd…approve to being taken care of by my friends and I." I told her, hoping it didn't sound rushed or desperate. Elliot slung the quilt over her shoulders delicately, trying not to hurt her arm. Though she tried to hide it, she tightened the quilt ever so slightly around her frame.

"Yeah, whatever…" she mumbled limply. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Was it me, or was every girl I met under-dramatic? Why couldn't all the girls I met be predictable and normal, like the ones in the movies! If this was a movie, Bella would have fled from Forks at the first chance; Elliot's eyes would have the consistency of a babbling brook and would have a mountain of tissues on her side, used and unused, and I would be the jerk who'd hook up with a different girl every few days!

But nooo, I had to meet the girls who _didn't _stick out at-freaking-all! Plus I had to be the one who actually _understood_ women.Well, it couldn't be worse right?

I was so wrapped up in my messed up thoughts that I hadn't even noticed I'd phased and now ran alongside the anxious pack members.

"_Jake, earth to Jake," _called Embry.

"_Sorry," _I mumbled _"Spaced out."_

"_Damn Cullens," _growled Sam_ "First they bring Bella into their messed up lives and now they have Elliot. I really hate vampires…can't they give us wolves a break?"_

"_I think they drained her emotions, not blood…"_sighedEmbry_._

"_Ah well," _said Sam_ "we need that girl to stay human. We don't need another newborn on our hands. The sooner she comes back to her senses the better."_

"_Personally, I don't think leeches are enough fun to be around. I feel kinda sorry for her." _said Quil.

"_Maybe we could get her on our side!" _yapped Embry.

Sam growled threateningly._ "We don't need another human to find out mythical animals are real either."_

"_So who's taking the first visit?" _asked Quil. We all waited with baited breath for the Alpha's decision. Nobody felt like talking to a lifeless human for three hours in a den that smelled like the world supply of perfume.

"_Embry." _He said decidedly.

"_Shit…" _muttered Embry.

"_Shit, indeed," _laughed Quil.

**Okies, that's the next chapter. Tell me if it was clear enough alright? Review!!**


	3. Don't Fan the Flames

**Embry's P.O.V**

I plopped down on the couch after an afternoon run. The bits of popcorn flew up and into the air. I switched the TV on and started to flip around without any thought of what I wanted to watch. I was always the guy who flipped through channels just to kill time. I never really looked at the screen, unless something caught my eye. The rain didn't relent and drowned the garden just behind the house.

"Embbrrryyyy!!" screamed my little cousin, Amy, who just so happened to visit "I left Barbra outside in the garden. Can you get her please?"

"What's a Barbra?" I grumbled. I _really_ wasn't in the mood to get up and wade through waist-high muck for whatever it was out there.

"She's my doll," bounced Amy "get her before an animal chews her up, pleeeaaase?" I stayed on the couch, flipping mechanically. I wanted to see if this kid would drop it and just leave me alone. No such luck came my way.

Amy scrambled up the dirty couch and nestled herself on my right arm. I fought the urge to just flick her off with one powerful jerk of my arm. I turned to her baby face with a forced grin on my face.

"What is it, Amy?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Barbra's going to get wet." She pouted.

"So get her." My arm muscle twitched involuntarily.

"Pleeeaaasse Embry," she squealed again "if I get wet I'll tell my mommy you made me wet!" I groaned and stood up off the sofa, brushing the popcorn from my jeans. I opened the back door hesitantly. I just came from the freaking wet! Her doll was soaking in a mud puddle beyond the fences.

"I hate kids," I mumbled to myself. The mud and rain splattered on my last pair of good jeans. I could have sworn something shit in the yard but I just wanted to grab that damn doll and get out of the rain.

A crash of thunder and a flash of lightening temporarily illuminated the forest. My heart stopped and I crouched down precautious.

The silhouette of a beautiful woman appeared for a moment. Her bodily aspects were what any guy would call perfect and her platinum blonde hair could have been easily mistaken for stark white in the flash. She was singing a soft ballad in a voice that was like melting honey to the ears. I sat there transfixed the woman.

Another flash of lightening and she was gone.

"Embry," came a deep voice from beside me "what's wrong man? You look like you've seen a ghost." I looked up to see Quil looking down at me worriedly. I shakily got up from the mud, holding the doll. My eyes never left the spot where that woman had been.

"N-Nothing," I stuttered "just…just something I saw…"

"A leech?"

I shook my head weakly. We stepped under the roof of the house and shook all the water droplets free of our bodies. I threw the muddy doll back to Amy, who screamed that her dress would get dirty. I marched up the stairs with Quil at my heels. Maybe he would know what it was. His grandfather knew practically _everything_ about La Push and its oddities, so maybe he told some to Quil in his free time.

I plopped down on the bed, staring out of the window. Quil mimicked my movements and looked at me with a cocked eyebrow.

"I saw a woman in the forest." I answered the unasked question.

"So you imprinted on her?" asked Quil.

"Nope," I sighed "there's just something wrong. I can't put a finger on it."

"Describe her."

"Well, she has really long platinum blonde hair, her eyes were like a really icy blue, her body was just wow, and the song she was singing was just so…alluring. Kind of like a siren's song."

"Platinum blonde hair?" wondered Quil "The closest to blonde we have in the Olympic Peninsula is that leech girl's blonde, let alone platinum blonde. Did you get a whiff of its scent?"

"Yeah, sort of like an exotic flower and cinnamon. Why?"

"Well… Sam said that he came across an eerie patch of forest when he was patrolling the other night."

"Eerie?"

"Yeah, said he heard a beautiful melody. It was really, really faint though so he couldn't make anything of it. He reckons it was just a girl who wandered into the forest and started singing so he made nothing of it. The only thing is that he caught a whiff of cinnamon before the song and smell disappeared completely."

"That's weird…do you think it's something we should check out?" I asked cautiously.

"Nah, I think the Cullens would have better luck with that. Hey, aren't you supposed to be over at the leeches' today?"

"SHIT!!" I swore jumping off the bed "Sam's going to _murder_ me!" Quil burst out laughing but at that moment I really didn't care. Why did it have to be me who took first watch over that girl?!

I arrived at the large white mansion in just three minutes. My acute ears picked up the sound of a steady beating heart. My nose itched from the smell. The overpowering sweet smell almost made me gag. I held my breath and pushed the doors open. I climbed the large, winding staircase, listening to the sound of the beating heart.

I pushed the familiar door open to see Elliot on the exact same place where we'd left her two days ago. Her eyes still stared out of the window hopelessly. Geez, talk about emo. This girl gives a new meaning to depressed teenager.

"Hi Elliot," I sat on the plush cushions beside her "I see you're still here."

"I know," she whispered feebly. Her green eyes never left the window.

"So…what do you want to do today?" I asked, trying to be polite "Do you want to play some games? Go hiking?"

"I don't know," she said again in that same hopeless tone.

"Do you want to play strip poker?" I asked, now testing her reactions.

"I don't know," she repeated. Man, talk about depressing.

The whole afternoon passed without any change. I kept making suggestions and all she'd do is shrug, whisper "I don't know", or do absolutely nothing at all. I gave up soon enough and started to explore her rather large room. I flipped through large volumes of mythology, scoffing every time I saw faux details of werewolves. I dug through her closet just for fun but that didn't even elicit a gasp of surprise from Elliot. A thin golden chain sparkled from within the confines of her panty drawer.

My hand snatched it up and carefully dangled the thin chain between my fingers. A small circular locket the size and shape of a quail egg hung from it. Emeralds gleamed around a script letter '_E_' on the front of the locket. I unlocked the clasp of the elegant locket and it swung forward.

A picture of a younger Elliot and two people I assumed to be her parents met my eyes. No sooner than that, a soothing melody played out from tiny ticking mechanisms behind the picture.

A hand flung out like a coiled viper's attack and before my brain could register it, the locket was pried from my grasp and shut firmly in a slim hand. Elliot's dull green eyes met his dark brown ones. A small spark seemed to be dancing deep within the confines of her eyes. After all, eyes were windows to the soul. I wanted to see if I could fan that spark into a flame.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you that men aren't supposed to dig through women's underwear?" she said angrily. That locket must have been a soft spot.

"Well you didn't seem to mind." I shot back "Staring out of that window every single day, that's pathetic."

The flame was small, but I could see it there. "Well maybe if your parents died, that's what you'd do." She hissed.

"I'd be living up to their expectations, not moping around." Her eyebrows scrunched together in frustration.

"Well…at least I don't go digging through underwear which isn't even mine."

"Did I ever tell you that you're ugly?" I smirked malevolently.

"What?!" screeched Elliot. Her dull green eyes suddenly flared and became a bright emerald color. I had managed to tap into the real Elliot! Wow, that wasn't as hard as I'd thought. I decided to egg her on, just to see what happens.

"You heard me," I guffawed "your face looks like it was run over by a truck after a massive zit attack!" okay, so maybe I hit her below the belt with that.

"Well your face looks like the place where the sun doesn't shine." She snarled.

"That's lame considering it actually looks good." I laughed at her blush.

"I…I…" she stuttered, at a loss for words. I took that chance to throw one last insult. I'm not trying to make her cry, but I just wanted to see what was behind the mask. Sam always did say that I had a talent for pissing people off. I prepared the last missile to launch. I knew that I would regret it but at that moment I just felt so powerful, I didn't really care anymore.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention one last thing," I said casually "your breath smells like manure. There's something called a toothbrush. Use it."

Elliot's face was priceless. Her eyes glared katanas, not daggers, at me, her cheeks were flushed with anger and humiliation, her hands were clawed and her nails dug into her pale skin. I just wanted to ruffle her hair but judging from the way she bore her teeth like a wolf, I realized she was the type of girl who wasn't afraid to bite.

"Go fuck yourself." she spat, venom dripping off each syllable.

I was about to come up with a witty reply but then Elliot had practically ripped off one of the bed posts with her unbroken arm and swung it upwards. I bent my head back, narrowly missing her violent swing.

All of a sudden, she started swearing at me.

And I don't mean plain swearing. Elliot's mouth burst with profanities the very same way a reservoir would crack then explode with torrents of water that mowed everything down. She was screaming at the top of her lungs too! I recoiled from the mad, pole-swinging woman. Her eyes were practically blazing and she was set on 'kill-everyone-I-see' mode.

The door slammed open and three leeches stormed in. One was wearing a white doctor's coat, the other was male and had blond hair and the last one was pixie girl. The blond non-doctor guy grabbed the pole out of her hand and looked her straight in the eye. Elliot's body became limp and fell on the bed, her eyes were glazed over. Pixie started to push me out of the door and the one with the white coat began to examine her arm. The locket was gently placed on the bedside table.

The mahogany door was slammed in my face by the tiny leech. I glared at her but her face held only astonishment.

"How did you do that?" asked Pixie.

"I just… pissed her off?" I answered uncertainly.

"We tried to get Elliot talk for _weeks_ before you mutts came. She just… sat there…staring into space."

"Well that just shows that we werewolves have a tendency to reach to humans in ways vampires _can't_." I bragged.

"I suppose," she clicked her tongue impatiently before she ushered me out of the house. I didn't complain. I _never _wanted anything to do with Elliot again. I phased, shredding all decency, and bound into the forest.

Just when I though I was out of the clear, that exotic scent wafted up my nose again. I screeched to a halt and tried to pinpoint where exactly the smell was coming from. My wolf body pushed past some irksome bushes before I saw her again.

Her long blonde hair flew daintily in the wind, her icy blue eyes stared fearfully at me, and she did the weirdest thing I'd ever seen. The moment my eye twitched momentarily because of pollen, large leathery bat wings sprouted from her shoulder blades and she shot up into the air, away from my sight. That confirmed my worst fears right there.

Something _other_ than vampires and werewolves was roaming around Forks and La Push…

**Hope you liked it, reviews please!**

_**More reviews each day keeps the writer's block away.**_

**Fable**


	4. My Locket's Secret

**Sorry this took a while but I was so busy with my other story! Thanks for being one of the best reviewers I have, waterdemon9. This chapter's dedicated to you.**

Emmett strode into my room, grinning from ear to ear. Ever since my little out burst with Embry, I had become slightly more vocal and no matter how slight it was, I could bet on Emmett to visit frequently.

"Hey Elliot!" he boomed, taking a seat on my bed. "Jasper, Alice and I are going hiking later at noon. Do you want to come?"

"I guess." I mumbled, shrugging. "I've been up here too much for my own good anyway." Emmett patted my back good naturedly. He tried to be gentle but I could tell that would bruise.

"Be ready around noon or else we're forcing you down!" he laughed, exiting my room.

"Okay, whatever." I sighed.

My fingers played with the small round locket which hung around my neck. My parents had given me this locket on my very first birthday. It played the same lullaby my father sang to me every night for eight years. _Edelweiss _always was his favorite lullaby so it only seemed right he'd sing it to me.

I sighed sadly. The tears had stopped falling ever since my out burst. The aching didn't recede though. I looked out the window to see a large, hulking figure walking towards the house.

Anger and hatred seared through my veins as I recognized that russet skin and black hair tied at the nape of his neck. He was Jacob, Embry's friend. Jacob had never done me any personal wrong, but as they say "Birds of a feather flock together." And I particularly hated the flock Embry was in.

I changed into camo pants, a black short sleeved shirt, a pair of hiking boots, and a storm gray jacket to top off the ensemble.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I groaned. Even though I still had the occasional 'dead mode' on, something kept nagging me in the back of my head. It told me that I was wasting my life by moping around. But it also told me to get to know Jacob, so I naturally thought my instincts or consciences were wrong.

Taking one last look at the mirror, I walked down the empty hallway. The Cullens had shown me around once before but I was too out of it to notice what exactly they were showing me. At least I had paid attention when they were showing me from my room to the living room.

Their house had a lovely air of antiquity about it. They didn't go overboard like several grandparents did, but you could tell what was out of place in the modern world. A beautiful hand painted tapestry, an intricately carved bust of someone I didn't recognize made in 1956 – as the date on the bottom stated – and several other unique items lined the spacious corridor. I passed a magnificent mahogany cross on the way too.

Before I descended the large, winding staircase, I caught a glimpse of a life-sized family portrait on the wall. Carlisle stood beside Esme in the middle of the family, Jasper and Alice on their left, Emmett and Rosalie on the right and two others I'd never seen before. They were situated on the far left, beside Alice and Jasper.

The girl was naturally beautiful, to say the least. She had large, expressive brown eyes, long, silky brown hair framed her heart-shaped face and a pink blush was painted delicately on her cheeks. The man, who held her hand, had the same pale skin, golden eyes and dark purple shadows beneath his eyes as all the Cullens. He had messy bronze hair, a less bulky figure than Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper, and the look he wore would make you think he was the happiest man alive.

Their names were written in cursive beneath them. Isabella was the name of the brown eyed girl and Edward was the man who held her hand.

What I hated about the picture was that they all seemed so happy, so…together.

"Nice, isn't it?" came a deep voice from behind me. I jumped one foot into the air and spun around to see who it was.

Jasper stood gazing at the picture. I hadn't even heard him come up to me.

"Yeah, it is." I agreed half-heartedly. "I haven't seen Isabella and Edward. Where are they?"

"On their honeymoon." He answered simply. "They got married last month. I think they're planning on coming back soon."

"They must be ecstatic." I stated, trying not to sound bitter or angry. I calmed down about it though. They deserved each other.

"Let's go," smiled Jasper, taking my hand in his. His hands were so cold. He must've run them under cold water. "Emmett is rather impatient to leave and I think it unwise to keep him waiting." I nodded, allowing him to lead me down the stairs.

That was another weird thing about the Cullens: the way they spoke. They had a nice lilting about their voices and the way they spoke seemed to fit in with an earlier century. The nineteenth-century or the twentieth would probably have fit. I liked how they spoke though.

Emmett carried one large duffel bag and had an archer's bow slung over his shoulders. Jacob leaned on the far pillar with a picnic basket at his feet. Alice came skipping up to Jasper and I beaming. How one small person could have all that happy stored within her, I'll never know.

"Ready?" she smiled at me. I merely nodded. We all made our way to Emmett's Wrangler, stuffing the bags and the picnic basket in the trunk. I jumped into the back, sitting beside Jacob. He didn't seem to be breathing.

Emmett drove crazy fast. Don't get me wrong, I love fast rides. It's just the way Emmett's jeep slides on two wheels whenever he turned which threw me off. My heart was doing summersaults whenever the jeep tipped to far off the concrete. My nails dug into the leather seats, fearing that they would tear at the fabric. Even when he drove through the trees the speedometer stayed the same: one-hundred-and-twenty mph.

I was only too happy when we got to the clearing. It took us only fifteen minutes with Emmett's speed. I jumped out of the jeep and landed on all fours like a cat. My legs were to wobbly to take all my weight so I resorted using my arms as an extra pair of legs. I stretched, loosening up all the tense muscles.

Jasper jogged up to me holding the bow and a quiver of arrows slung across his back.

"You want to learn some archery?" he asked me, handing the bow to me. I held it in my fingers awkwardly. It seemed very expensive, but then again, when did the Cullens ever go for cheap things? I pulled the string experimentally. It snapped back into position with a slight quiver.

"I'll give it a shot." I smiled.

Jasper handed me an arrow and showed me how to hold it by using another bow they had packed along. My grip was clumsy and unsteady. My hands lost coordination often, making me drop the arrow more than once. Jasper sighed mockingly and wrapped his cool hands around me. One on the hand which held the bow ant the other was delicately wrapped around the hand which held the arrow.

My heartbeat quickened ever so slightly. I couldn't feel anything but calm around Jasper, which was odd. Then again, all of the Cullens seemed like oddities to me.

"Just aim straight. Find your target and relax your thoughts on everything _but_ the target." He whispered in my ear. A series of tingling rolled down my spine.

"I got it, Jasper." I sighed. He let go of me gently. Jasper acted like a big brother to me. That much I could see.

I stretched the bow taut firmly. I aimed for a large wooden tree. With one last adjustment, I let the arrow fly straight and true.

Stupid arrow landed twelve feet from the target.

"That's alright sport." Emmett laughed, ruffling my hair. Jasper grabbed an arrow and aimed for the exact tree I attempted to hit. With one fluid pull, his arrow soared gracefully into the air. It flew straight and true until it hit the very knot I aimed for in the center.

"Practice makes perfect." He smiled. I forced a smile but it looked like a pained grimace.

"Maybe you should lay off the smiling." said Jacob who was leaning against the jeep. I would have thrown something at him if it wasn't for Emmett's jeep. With the precision aims I had I would most likely smash a window.

Another hour or archery flew by and the clouds began to thin. The weather forecast predicted a rare bout of sunshine last night so I wasn't too surprised. I wanted to feel the warmth again. I just wished my parents could enjoy it alongside me. I sighed melancholically, fingering the locket.

"Elliot," called Emmett. "Alice, Jasper and I will be back in a bit okay? Jasper's boss called up and he said he wanted Jasper and Alice for another photo shoot." He handed me the picnic basket and dashed to his jeep. He waved at me from the driver's seat and yelled "If you need to contact us, use the cell phone in the basket!" and with that, they drove back into the trees.

I silently laid the blanket on the damp grass and sat on it. The meadow was soon engulfed by brilliant rays of sunshine peering through the clouds. The bluebirds and swallows sang a beautiful melody as I sat on the checkered blanket, sipping on a cool can of soda. I felt a pair of eyes burning into the back of my head so I turned around.

Sure enough, Jacob was staring at me. He was sitting in the shade of the trees.

"Are you going to come over here or do you want me to bring the food to you?" I called sarcastically.

"I'd prefer the second option." He yelled back, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

"Suit yourself! If you're not standing, I'll eat your share!" I was just about to eat a cold turkey sandwich when Jacob suddenly snatched it out of my hands and swallowed the thing whole. "Hey! That was mine." I said.

"You snooze, you lose." Jacob had pulled out another sandwich and started scoffing it down. I shrugged and pulled out a chicken sandwich and nibbled on the crust absentmindedly. My fingers played with the small locket, watching it glimmer in the sun. I made absolutely no attempt to talk to the Quileute giant beside me. I preferred it that way, sadly Jacob didn't think so.

"So," he began. "do you miss your parents."

"No shit." I growled, hoping he'd drop the subject. His russet finger touched the pendant delicately.

"May I see?" he asked me. I slid the chain off my neck and reluctantly handed it over. Jacob's hand was so big and it looked powerful, I feared my locket would be crushed with the slightest pinch.

He pinched the chain and let my locket dangle before his face. Jacob's hands were so gentle with the tiny quail egg-sized trinket. He took particular interest on the back of the locket. I wondered what he saw. The back was a smooth rounded surface, nothing special about it at all.

"Elliot?" he said, his chocolate brown eyes turned to me.

"What is it?"

"Did you ever notice that the back of your locket is a different metal compared to the rest of it?" he held it up and pointed out the color difference. The texture of the back was less refined too.

"Okay, so what?" I said. "The gold on the front should have been softer and more refined to have it etched and embedded with emeralds."

"I think it's covering something up." Jacob said, experimentally checking the sides of the locket. He began to pick at the side where the back and the clasp met. It looked like he was trying to remove something.

"Hey, don't scratch it!" I said, attempting to snatch it out of his hands. Jacob jumped up and stood at his full height, still picking at the locket.

Without thinking of the consequences, I leapt up on Jacob's broad back, and dug my nails into his shoulders, hoisting myself up as if I was rock climbing. Once my head popped up over his shoulder, I locked my knees on either side of Jacob's waist and clawed wildly to get the locket back before he damaged it even further.

"Give it!" I screamed, infuriated beyond belief. His arms were much longer than I'd thought.

"I've almost got it!" he said.

With one terrifying 'pop!' a golden shell fell to the grass. I stared at it with horror etched across my face. This guy broke my most prized possession! I grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked hard on it. I thought of sinking my teeth into his neck (I like biting people when I get angry. It never grows old…) but that didn't seem like a very good idea.

"Oi!" he growled, wincing. "That hurts, Elliot!"

"You bastard!" I screeched, pulling even harder. "I've had that locket since I was a year old! That's the only momentum I have left of my parents. You _destroyed_ it! I'm going to _slaughter _you so painfully your ancestors will feel it!!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go! Elliot, look at the locket!" he swayed the locket within arm's reach. The very warm locket was clenched tightly in my right hand in world record breaking speed. I jumped off his tall frame and sat Indian-style on the blanket, running my fingers over the newly exposed backside.

"See, look here." Jacob pointed out the shiny new back with words engraved to them. "I told you so."

"You still broke it." I pointed out childishly.

"What does it say?" asked Jacob. My pinky finger traced the words written in the same cursive font the _E_ was written in. The writing was _tiny_ so I barely made it out. It seemed that a short poem was written on the miniscule back – which, I'd forgotten to mention, was flat so it looked like half a quail egg.

_Elliot Heather Chase_

_July 18, 1993_

_We will always, always be together,_

_Through rain and shine,_

_One way or the other._

_Stay happy._

_Mom and Dad_

My hands trembled slightly upon reading the tiny words. The wound in my heart reopened and bled despair and loss profusely. I had completely forgotten Jacob was still beside me, so I let the tears stream down my face. I held the locket as close to my heart as was possible, kneeling over from the pain I felt. The tears flowed relentlessly, staining my face and the picnic blanket in briny liquid.

"How can you say that when you aren't even here?!" I sobbed, talking to the mere memories of my beloved parents as if they were standing right there. The mere thought of that tore me in two.

Two large arms pulled me up and drew me closer to a warm chest. I buried my face into Jacob, seeking all the comfort and warmth he provided. His hand pulled my hair loose of the pony tail and then he began to run his hand through my locks.

I calmed down after a while, but the tears and sobs still continued. Jacob seemed sincerely concerned about me and that was all I could ask for. My body trembled slightly every time I sobbed and when that happened Jacob would run his hand soothingly up and down the length of my back.

"I miss them so much." I moaned pathetically into his damp shirt.

"I'm sure they miss you too." Jacob reassured me, cradling me gently on his chest. "But I think that they would want you to move on and be happy."

"Easier said than done." I sniffed. He smiled at me, brushing the stray strands away from my face.

"You have all the help you need."

"You'd… be willing?" I wondered. The moment those words left my lips I inwardly swore at myself to keep my big mouth shut.

"Sure." Jacob said, a little uncomfortably.

"Why are you doing this?" I got out of his bear hug and plopped down on the blanket. "You hardly even know me and yet you… help me." Jacob shrugged and looked up at the cloudy sky.

"You remind me of a girl I'd known before." He said, absentmindedly picking at the grass. "She had almost the same problem you do. Her boyfriend left her and she was a friend of mine so I thought that maybe I could…cheer her up. I succeeded too. We became very close friends and I stitched her up the best I could. I did it better than her own father." A small smile graced his features. It was the same smile my father had when he thought of my mother.

"Did you like her?" I pondered. Jacob grimaced and looked down at the grass. I suppose he didn't want to talk about it.

"I did." He answered unexpectedly. "Heck, I loved her with all my soul. I think she did too. But _he _had to come back and take her away from me." His fists were clenched into fists and he looked angry. I guess I had similarities with Jacob Black: we both had someone special taken from us.

I stroked the back of his hand uncertainly, hoping I could calm him as he calmed me. He relaxed slightly and exhaled deeply.

"It hurts to lose someone you love." I stated, gazing at the picture of my parents in the locket.

"It hurts even more to see your loved ones die." Jacob sighed. "It would probably be better if we had no feelings."

"So much better." I agreed. "You wouldn't hurt as much."

"I heard you got into a fight with Embry." A smirk formed on Jacob's full lips. I nodded, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"He pissed me off. He called me pathetic, ugly and smelly." I grimaced as I said the last word. I was particularly touchy when it came to body odor.

"So you swore at him so badly when he slept that night all he could hear in his dreams was you swearing." Jacob laughed heartily. I cracked a small smile, the very first since my parents had died.

"Seriously?" I asked him.

"Seriously." Jacob confirmed, whipping the tears away. "Oh, and Elliot?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You should smile more often." He stood up and stretched, watching the jeep come into view. "You look pretty when you smile."

If I were any other teenage girl, who was hopeful enough to think a guy would like her just because he gave her some advice, my heart would have probably jumped out of my chest.

But I wasn't what I called normal, so I contented myself with a small blush and a lazy grin.

We boarded the jeep and sat in the very back together. This time, it was only Emmett and Jasper in the truck. The time in the meadow flew fast, too fast for my liking. I can't believe I admitted that staying in the meadow with Jacob Black was fun. I didn't even notice Emmett's crazy driving because I was reminiscing.

"Hey Elliot." Jacob called, pulling me out of my reverie. "You wanna hang out at La Push sometime?"

"I guess." I shrugged.

"Great, let's say, tomorrow?"

"Sure…"

**In the next chapter of "The Crimson Tears":**

"_**Carlisle," called Emmett worriedly. "What's going on?"**_

_**Carlisle took a deep sigh and looked out of the window, with a worried expression that made him look older than thirty, practically impossible for a vampire.**_

"_**Edward's called." He said distractedly. "They're coming home…"**_

**Please review if you'd want more.**


	5. The Canvas

**Shout out to waterdemon9, Toddles, iPrincess and smiley smiles 202. Thanks for keeping me in great spirits you guys!! And to all who added this story to their alert and favorites list, I hope I hadn't failed this chapter. Without further ado, here's chapter 5.**

**--**

"This is crazy!"

"Come on, Elliot. It's not going to kill you."

"It might not kill _you_, but it sure as hell will kill _me_."

Jacob sighed in mock exasperation. I was over at La Push for the day and, at the moment, was teetering on the edge of the cliff. Jacob wanted to show me how to cliff dive. For what reasons, I'll never know.

I stood defiantly on the edge with my arms crossed. The chilly wind whipped my bare arms and the salt sea smell dominated the area. I was clad in black shorts and a crimson tank top as Jacob was in his usual cut off jeans.

"I wasn't suicidal even when I _was_ depressed!" I protested, peering down at the churning waters below. "This is the kind of things mentally retarded people do." I didn't trust his seemingly innocent face, so I stood my ground.

"Call me crazy." Jacob smirked, moving towards me casually. Damn, this guy was thinking of throwing me over the cliff!

"Don't even think about it." I snarled, balling my hands into fists.

Two thick russet arms immediately wrapped themselves around my waist. Before I could comprehend the situation, Jacob had leapt off the cliff with me. My hands flung themselves around Jacob's neck while my hands clawed into the skin of his back.

One look downward had me screaming for my life. My heart beat erratically in my chest, threatening to jump out of my rib cage. The air rushed past us in a whistle. The water roared and crashed, eagerly awaiting its next two victims. My arms tightened around Jacob and I buried my head in the crook of his neck, awaiting the cold death. Hey, at least if I died, I would join my parents wherever they were.

The icy water engulfed me unmercifully. The salt stung my open eyes and my nose was filled with sea water. I kicked away from Jacob, reaching for the surface. I couldn't breath and I wasn't the sporty type so my kicking did little to push me to the surface. Another roll of the wave sent me tumbling even deeper into the sea. I exhaled all what was left of my oxygen and gave up my futile struggling.

Out of the briny blue, two hot hands snaked around my upper arms and pulled me out of the water. Ice cold wind greeted my body and I leaned into the burning heat of my savior and he – judging from his chiseled body – held me closer, completely shielding me from the air and waded out of the sea effortlessly. I cracked my eyes a fraction and shut it tight again. The salt water and frigid air didn't mix.

I coughed the remaining sea water out of my lungs the moment I wriggled out of my captor's iron grasp. I stared up at him through bleary eyes and glared furiously at a repentant Jacob. I regretted the loss of warmth almost immediately.

"Jerk." I said, shivering. I attempted to stand, yet my legs were shaking so hard I doubted I would go anywhere for a while. I gave up and plopped down on the cold sand. My clothes clung to my body and they were _soaked_. I curled into a ball, trying to preserve what little heat I had left.

"Sorry 'bout that." Jacob said, plopping down beside me. "I just thought it'd be fun. Sorry."

"If you're really sorry you'd help me warm up, being the walking furnace you are." I growled. His arms encircled me and crushed me against his body. I yelped from the sudden contact, although I relished the warmth immeasurably. My face found his shoulder and laid limp there. I closed my eyes and let the heat penetrate my delicate body.

Jacob carefully hooked his hands on the back of my knees and enclosed them around his waist. Grabbing the concept quickly, I wrapped my legs around his waist tightly and my arms hooked themselves around his neck. I kept my eyes closed and my breathing even. Jacob was the best friend I'd always wanted. I doubt our relationship could escalate anymore, and besides, I was already content at where we were already.

"Hey Elliot." Jacob said, carrying me along like a child.

"Yeeeaaa?" I mumbled sleepily.

"Pizza or chicken?"

I mumbled something unintelligible before losing all consciousness and falling asleep on my own mobile furnace.

**Meanwhile, at the Cullen's**

"Alice, please stop that." Emmett had repeated that same question forty-seven times in a row and counting, yet Alice hadn't stopped flitting about the living room to Elliot's room. Each time she passed by, she held a new item in her hands. May it be paint, wall paper, news paper or whatever she used to decorate, it drove Emmett nuts.

"Why must you insist on me stopping?" Alice asked, slightly perturbed. She was now carrying a blank canvas even larger than she was.

"Because I'm trying to watch 'Family Guy'." He stated simply. Rosalie walked into the living room, brushing her already flawless blonde hair.

"How can you even watch that mindless drivel?" Rosalie sat beside Emmett and placed the brush delicately on the table top.

"Because Stewie is evil, now shush!!" And with that, Emmett's eyes zoned into the TV, ignoring the two females, who rolled their eyes at him.

"What have you been doing anyway, Alice?" Rosalie asked, eyeing the blank canvas. "I never knew you painted. That was usually Esme's thing."

"It's for Elliot." Alice chirped happily. "I just found out that she's going to paint a masterpiece."

"You can see the future, I'm not surprised." Rosalie sneered. She always did get touchy whenever it came to any human, unsuspecting or not, connected with the vampire coven.

Alice rolled her eyes and went back to redecorating Elliot's room. No less than a minute later, Esme came down the magnificent staircase. Two aprons, one white and the other checkered with white and blue, were slung over her arm.

"Rosalie," she called. "Have you seen Elliot? I wanted to bake with her."

"I thought you never baked." Rosalie called back, becoming more irked by the second. _Why does my family care so much about a mere human girl?!_ Rosalie thought angrily.

"Bella was too clumsy for me to even attempt that with her, so I opted for Elliot."

"She might go all emo over the cookies." Rosalie also had a problem with seeing her shed tears. She couldn't cry, but she couldn't spite Elliot for that either, so she took it out on random situations.

"I doubt she'll do that. Not since Jacob's pieced her back together anyway. It's hard to believe those two had met each other only three weeks ago."

"I really doubt we'll need another Bella-Jacob situation." Emmett suddenly put in once the credits came on.

"I really don't think she'll be able to handle that." Rosalie said. "Humans are so fragile when it comes to emotions."

"Oh come now." Esme said, hanging the aprons on the rack in the kitchen. "There isn't an Edward in this equation. Jacob and Elliot are practically inseparable. Wouldn't it be great to see them in love?"

"You forgot to add the imprint factor in the equation." Alice sang, now carrying a bundle of oil paints in her hands. "If Jacob imprints then you can say bye-bye to Elliot's happiness."

"But remember that imprints only happen so often." Esme sat on the chair, flipping through a recipe book with dizzying haste.

"We have a one in a million chance of that happening." Rosalie said blankly. "I'm not holding my breath."

**Once Elliot returns to the Cullen's**

Jacob was in my room, fiddling with the paints that had been placed in my room by a mischievous pixie named Alice. I was contemplating on what to paint the massive canvas.

"Hey Jake," I called. "What do you think I should paint?"

"I dunno." Jacob said, accidentally spraying crimson paint all over the desk. "Shit…um, paint Adonis."

"Adonis doesn't exist." I stated simply. The idea of painting a human being wasn't a bad idea though.

"Why don't you use a model?" Alice came into my room, sitting down gracefully on the bed.

"Hey Alice, and models can't ever stay still enough for me to paint."

"Do you want to go shopping later?" she asked suddenly.

"Sorry Alice, Jasper's giving me another archery lesson tomorrow morning and Esme and I were going to make chocolate brownies now."

"How about tomorrow night?"

"Jacob and I were going to watch a movie in Port Angeles."

Alice pouted and looked up at me from her long lashes. Oh no…not her "Alice pout". She always got me to do what she wanted with that face.

"Elliot," Alice said sadly, looking up at me. "I'm your best friend, aren't I?" she looked like she was about to cry.

"Well…I…uh…" my eyes flicked over to Jacob, who was eyeing Alice suspiciously. "I guess you are."

"You want me to be upset don't you." Alice looked out of the window, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and sniffing slightly. "I thought…just maybe…that you and I were like sisters."

"We are Alice!" I retorted heatedly. "You guys took me in and you've been the one I've been closest to!"

"So why don't you ever have time for me anymore? All the time you spend is with someone else. You never make time for me!" the guilt of making Alice so upset ate at my innards.

"Okay, okay, we'll go out tomorrow afternoon." I sighed defeated. There goes all my free time.

"Yay! We'll go shopping, see a movie, and buy you a whole new wardrobe-"

"Wait, what's wrong with my current wardrobe?" I asked.

"The new fall collections are out and you hardly have any space left."

"So?"

"So we'll have to get rid of some stuff. See you!" and with that, the evil, scheming pixie waltzed out of my room, closing the door behind her.

I sighed dramatically, plopping down on the soft cream-colored carpet. Jacob bent over me with a smirk playing at his handsome features. I cocked an eyebrow at him and sat upright.

"What're you smirking about?" I asked.

"You just sold out your whole day to the Cullens. Are you even planning to eat tomorrow." He plopped down on the floor beside me.

"Knowing your eating habits, I could steal a snack or two to keep me contented." I nudged him in the ribs playfully. Jacob nudged me back and I tried not to wince in pain. Even with the simplest of nudges, this boy could bruise a rhino. My eyes lingered back to the massive blank canvas. I sighed sadly, fingering the locket.

"My parents always loved seeing me paint." I told him, staring straight ahead. "I would paint a picture and my dad would always approve of my pictures when they were well made and my mom would help me hang them up in whatever region in the house. I usually painted for them."

"You don't know if you can paint for anyone else." Jacob didn't ask it, he stated it and he was right.

"I know and it's really pathetic." I sighed, still fiddling with the locket. "It's just that when they died, my motivation died with them. I can't find the heart to do anything I _used_ to love."

Jacob didn't respond. Instead he picked up a stray paintbrush and slipped delicately it between the fingers of my right hand. I gripped the paintbrush, relishing the memories that ran through my mind. I held the brushes exactly like this whenever I wanted to paint on a standing canvas. Jacob then wrapped his larger hand around mine, dipped the brush into some dark ochre paint and held it up to the blank canvas. This position was nostalgic of the time my dad had taught me how to hold it properly. The memory didn't kill my heart, like it always did, now, it comforted me.

With Jacob's hand effortlessly leading mine, we painted the trunk of a tree in its primary colors. Its size was puny compared to what I had left. I decided to keep it there, not paint over it or remove it.

"You have a family who cares for you now, Elliot. The proof is all around you." Jacob's voice sent tingles shooting down my spine and his words broke through a barrier which had blinded me for so long. "Your parents aren't gone, just watching over you. They wouldn't want you to lose _everything_ you used to have. If you haven't seen how many people love you, I suggest you open your eyes."

"You think they…love me?" I asked, I hadn't been anything but emo since I'd arrived, so I naturally wondered why these people didn't want to kick me out to the nearest adoption center the moment my arm had healed.

"Yes, they do." He reassured me, never ceasing to paint along with me. "Besides, you'd have me even if nobody wanted you."

"Do I?"

"Yeah, you do."

"Thanks, Jake. That really means a lot to me." I smiled, fighting the tears off.

I knew what I'd be using for my model. I'd be using the one who saved me from the darkness. I'd paint it to show how thankful I was to have someone like him in my life. He shouldn't see it until completion though. No problem, I have all the time in the world to work on it.

Jacob Black, this is for you.

**Alice's Point of View**

As Jacob and Elliot spent their time together, Carlisle called all of us into his study. He was staring out of the window and a worried crease formed between his eyebrows.

Tension was thick in the air. Esme, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and I stood stock still. Did I mention _Emmett _was standing still?

"We have a problem." Carlisle said, not turning around. "Edward's called in and he says the honeymoon was over."

"Is this a joke?" Emmett laughed humouredly. Carlisle stood still.

"They've come across a problem. One that hasn't happened in recorded history."

"You don't think-" Esme said but Jasper cut her off.

"The Volturi…?" Jasper contemplated. Carlisle shook his head and Esme went back to thinking.

The silence was unbearable, the tension even more. All of a sudden, Carlisle turned around and looked us all in the eyes. He was worried, extremely worried. It must have been a problem even he was unable to fix. Emmett began to fidget.

"Carlisle," called Emmett worriedly. "What's going on?"

Carlisle took a deep sigh and looked out of the window, with a worried expression that made him look older than thirty, practically impossible for a vampire.

"Edward's called." He said distractedly. "They're coming home…"

We all didn't know why that was such bad news. I opened my mouth to ask him to clarify the danger when Esme screamed, clapping both her hands to her mouth.

"Bella's pregnant." Esme said. Those two words caused worry, fear and anxiety to dawn upon us. This couldn't be good.

**In the next chapter of "The Crimson Tears"**

"_**We're really, really sorry!" Alice said. "We have to go for the day. Maybe we can hang out some other time?"**_

"_**I don't mind but may I ask where you all are going?" I asked as politely as I could.**_

"_**Seattle." Jasper answered, flinging the bags to Jacob. "Have fun at Jacob's alright, kiddo?" He mussed up my hair as Emmett did not too long ago. I grimaced at him.**_

_**Behind their eyes, in their very souls, I could see the anxiety they harbored. What were they hiding from me?**_

**Please review and remember, the more I'd get, the faster I'd type. I'm crossing my fingers for at least five, alright guys?**


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